Royal Scrutiny

 

Royal Scrutiny

Psalm 50:8-15

Theme: The revival of our churches begins with a renewal in our worship of God. God’s priority is to restore His people and then return them to heartfelt (spirit) and genuine (truth) worship.

Relevance: the God of astonishing glory demands worship that work. The Christian lives in this tension between rituals and reality! Too often our churches are accused of hypocrisy: “They don’t practice what they preach.” We gather to merely go through the motions of “worship.”  

Introduction:

In Psalm 50 formalism in worship and hypocrisy in living are addressed by God. He is never happy with mere customary habits, religious formalities, ‘spiritual’ observances, ‘Christian’ religious ceremonial practices, or procedures rooted in rites, routines, and stereotypes.

Additionally, we cannot afford to merely “go through the motions.” Away with worship that is formally correct but empty of a heart that is eager to love and praise God. In these verses of Psalm 50, God examines the activities of his people and finds them observing routines while ignoring him.

Message:

    I.          The Royal Judge’s Examination (Ps. 50:8-15).

God’s scrutiny reveals worship, though correct in many regards, it is still formal and ritualistic.

A.   Reflecting on the Worship Israel Offered (Ps. 50:8-13).

1.     God does Not Rebuke them for Continuous Sacrifices and Offerings (v. 8). He affirms their sacrifices: “I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings” (see Ps. 40:6), given in the temple “continually.” Most of them were doing the right things at the correct times consistently. Some people were quite exact about this. 

2.     But God Noticed the Worship Israel Offered was Formal and Ritualistic.

a.      “Formalism refers to a tendency in religious thought and practice to shift focus away from the abstract, the spiritual, the personal, or the ethical principles in a religion and toward the outward forms that embody that religion. Outward forms can refer to: the sacred buildings or shrines in which worship occurs.” -David McCallum

b.     Formal type worship contains structures, set prayers, readings, or rituals. Typically, it is deceptive, prideful, hypocritical, devoid of commitment, it is not heartfelt, or indicative of real spiritual devotion to God.   

c.      The Lord Jesus rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees sharply for their hypocritical worship and pretentious lifestyles in Matt. 23. See Gal. 6:13-15; Lk. 11:37- 54.

3.     God does Not Need Israel’s Sacrifices and Offerings (vs. 9 -11). Truthfully, God does not need the sacrifices, but Israel does.

a.      God refuses to go looking for “a bullock out of thy house” or “goats,” when He owns all the beasts in the “forest” and “the cattle upon a thousand hills” (v. 10). Also, He has a superintending relationship with all “the fowls of the mountains” and “the wild beasts of the field.” Why then if God has vast herds and flocks would He need a single bull or goat?

b.     So, it is ridiculous according to verse 12, that God waits for any sacrifices to be offered to Him for a meal! God does not need Israel to feed Him, a common notion both ancient and modern religions held toward their gods or ancestors. Thus, He mockingly asks: “Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?” (Based on D. Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13)

c.      But the trouble was that they thought these rituals completely discharged their obligations to Jehovah. They were like girls who treat their mother indifferently throughout the year, then smother her with chocolates on her birthday! Or like sons who never thank their father for all he does for them, then give him a gift tie on Father’s Day!

d.     So Jehovah protests that while they had loaded His altar with sacrificial animals, they had treated Him personally with cold neglect. As to the technical details of the offerings, His people had been punctilious. But when it came to a warm, personal relationship with the Lord Himself, they were seriously lacking. F. B. Meyer writes:

e.      The Psalm is a severe rebuke of the hypocrite who contents himself with giving a mere outward obedience to the ritual of God’s house, but withholds the love and homage of his heart.^[1]

4.     Sacrifices are not to be offered for God’s sake, but for Israel’s, as a sign of the covenant, as an act of surrender, and as a substitute for sin.

5.     We should treasure Christ Jesus even more because of the New Covenant, His willing surrender, and his complete Sacrifice for our sin. 1 Corinthians 1:29-31, That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

a.      Hebrews 9:12, Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

b.     Hebrews 9:26-28, For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

c.      Hebrews 1:9-10, Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

B.   Reflecting on the Worship God Desires (Ps. 50:14-15).

1.     Offer Thanksgiving (v. 14). True worship is defined in verse 14.

a.      It begins with the heart: “Offer unto God thanksgiving [sacrifice].”

b.     True worship also includes the heartfelt obedience of simple gratitude for His person and blessings.

c.      How may we express gratitude to God?

1.     Begin the day with thanksgiving to God.

2.     Thank Him in your daily and public worship.

3.     Speak of all of His benefits to family, friends and work associates.

4.     Thank Him as you read His Word, especially when he speaks to your heart in an obvious way.

5.     Thank Him for the hard things.

d.      Through the eyes of faith we can look beyond our present-day challenges. Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith requiring trusting God.

e.      No gift can ever take the place of simple gratitude. Too often we are like the family that took their queenly mother for granted, then after her death attempted to atone for their thanklessness by dressing her body in a two-thousand-dollar Dior original!^[2]

2.     Pay Vows (vs. 14). Thus “vows” must be paid “unto the Most High.”

a.     A “vow” is any kind of promised gift to God. He is the “Most High,” a title used by Melchizedek, king of Salem, who blesses Abraham (Gen. 14:18). It means “God above all other gods.”

b.     Fulfilled vows includes vows of love, worship, service, and devotion.^[3]

3.     Offer Prayers (v. 15). When worship is from the heart and exhibited in obedience, God promises that His people may “call upon [Him] in the day of trouble.” He will “deliver” them and they will “glorify” Him.

a.      When they were walking in obedience they can call on the Lord in a time of trouble and God promised to deliver them.

b.     This includes both the glory manifested in the rescue itself and the resulting praise from Israel (v. 15).

c.      This is a wonderful insight into the heart of God. He loves to hear His people pray, and He loves to answer those prayers. He cherishes an intimate, tender relationship between His people and Himself.^[4]

4.     A Great Deal of Stuff we do in the Name of worship is not Listed Here!

a.      Ritualistic singing, simply going through the motions, and mindless ‘participation’ in the services should be eliminated. The songs are a part of worship, not just preparation for preaching. Worship centers on God as the focus and not the Bible as the object. Experiences are validated by the Word.

b.     Allowing familiarity and routine to replace spiritual involvement; allowing whatever distractions to steal our attention and concentration. We must be present in the moment in order to worship God.

c.      ‘Praying’ to instruct people instead of praying to God; being more of a judge and inspector instead of a participant and worshiper. Allowing local traditions to trump truth and biblical standards/requirements.  

d.     Don’t use fire, dancing, secular music/songs, pride, irreverence, jealousy, and cynicism as they greatly hinder worship.

 

II.          The Royal Judge’s Explanation.

The Scriptures are abundantly clear that only God deserves true worship, not angels, mere other human beings, or idols (Exodus 20:3, Matthew 4:10). True worship involves the heart—God wants sincere worshipers, not people who just go through the motions…not just external actions (John 4:24, Psalms 51:16-17).

A.    Worship embraces giving our deepest affections and highest praise to God yielding our heart, soul, mind, and bodies to Him. Worship then is an extreme form of love — it’s a type of whole-hearted devoutness. True worship also involves expressions of obedience, praise, honor, adoration, and gratitude offered by regenerate believers who know and love him personally.

B.    As God’s people, we are sometimes guilty of using a “Christian” ritual while we mentally zone-out during a worship service resulting in a hateful form of hypocrisy. “Jesus’ advice to “worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) provides the proper correctives for these faults.”^[5]

C.    Clearly, we need the Lord Jesus in all facets of our lives if we hope to be fruitful and productive—this includes our worship.

1.     John 15:5, I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

2.     Galatians 2:20, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Again, we must be honest with God about our need for Christ in all facets of life. Forsake pridefulness, self-sufficiency, egotism, self-reliance, and independence.

D.    Beloved, we must view Worship as something we Need and not what God Needs. We cannot afford to miss this application. Too often we think that God needs us. He needs our money, our time, our service, our insight, our strength, and our worship. After all, what would He and His church do without us? This attitude is checked by the Judge in two respects.

First, it presupposes a weak God. But He is the sovereign Mighty God even the LORD! He owns the “cattle upon a thousand hills.” He needs neither us nor our money (Mal. 3:8-12). Second, it expresses too high a view of ourselves. Pride enters in and the proud cannot stand in the presence of the Holy God. “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance …. All nations before Him are as nothing” (Is. 40:15 & 17). (Based on D. Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13)

E.     Our Worship must be a Living Sacrifice of heartfelt devotion, loyalty to truth, and obedience to God. The offering of oneself fully and completely to God is what he is after…this is real worship…and this is for our good!

1.     Deut. 6:4-5, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

2.     Deuteronomy 10:12, And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

3.     Deuteronomy 10:16, Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

4.     John 4:24, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

5.     Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Conclusion:

Again, this is a personal and heartfelt (from the heart) offering indicated by Psalm 50! We are not dealing with a matter of constraint, compulsion, or reluctance (see 2Cor. 9:7). As our capable Judge, God points to the formalism in our worship and hypocrisy in our lives! And in many cases, we are guilty as charged. We now know that worship flows from a heart of love for God…from people who deeply want to please God; there is no motivation to merely do one’s duty or to check the box. We literally cease to operate purely out of a sense of obligation (Matt. 22:37-40). Beloved, worship needs to be our focus! His people must bring sacrifices of thanksgiving from obedient, trusting hearts.^[6]

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^[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 628.

^[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 628.

^[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 628.

^[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 628–629.

^[5] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

^[6] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.